Tears
by Buffy2204
Summary: SG1 gate to a world where the ground is unstable. Jack and Sam struggle to survive the harsh situation they find themselves in. SJChapter 14 is revised for all you fussy people. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys, an new story! Hope you enjoy it. I have no Beta reader so all mistakes are mine. Um...I don't own Stargate_..._and I apolgise from my terrible grammar._

"Jack!" Daniel called from his crouched position on the ground. His glasses were coated in the vast amount of dust that lined the planet's surface. His hands, that were enthusiastically rubbing and wiping the grit off something on the ground, weren't even recognisable as skin. They were grey as the clouds that slowly filled the sky, threatening a fierce tempest.

"What, Daniel?" Jack said tiredly. He did not want to be around when the storm arrived. "Take a picture, I'll look later,"

"Rings!" he said completely ignoring the Colonel as usual. He was excited, if not slightly nervous. Fortunately the last word had caught everybody's attention and Jack didn't grace him with an O'Neill scowl. "There are no signs of any civilisation or worship…technology… I don't understand why the Goa'uld would want to come here at all,"

"_I _don't know why _anybody_ would want to be here, Daniel," Jack said grumpily brushing down his clothes from the recent dust that had settled on them. "We'll check it out later. Right now, I think the weather is our biggest problem,"

"Weather?" Daniel said puzzled finally looking up after being so engrossed with the ground. "Those clouds are hardly anything to worry about, give me ten more minutes,"

"Daniel," Jack growled menacingly. "Pack up, _now_,"

The archaeologist completely ignored him and set about uncovering the rest of the ring platform.

"That's strange." Daniel muttered. Sam walked over to him from stuffing her pack and crouched down beside him.

"What?" she asked.

"There is a huge crack lining the outside of the ring and veering off to the left, I was just wondering what could have caused it,"

"An earthquake, possibly?" she offered.

"Maybe but wouldn't there be more cracks, instead of a single one?"

A heavy boot slammed down in front of them, disrupting their musings and causing both of them to jump. "Didn't I tell you kids to pack up?"

"Uh…Jack?" Daniel said with a real edge of fear to his voice. A loud crack brought the Colonel to his senses. The ground shifted below his feet and he felt the intense weakness of the earth which he had pummelled with his foot. Jack felt a sickening lurch in his stomach as his leg sunk into the ground breaking the fragile surface. His knee stopped the whole of his leg from falling through.

"Ahh!" he cried in pain as he felt his knee pop. His vision blotched in pain and he blinked away the dizziness. He glanced down at the damage; his knee had started to swell already underneath his clothes. The ground around started to crack and quiver.

"Sir!" Carter jumped to her feet, grabbed his arm to stop him falling further and tried to pull him from the ground.

A crack as loud as a gunshot sounded from near Teal'c a few metres away. The large Jaffa backed away from the crack that was slowly opening at his feet as pieces of the ground crumbled away into an abyss below them. Luckily Teal'c was on their side of the growing canyon. The whole ground was rumbling furiously, patches near and further away were starting to break off and fall into the chasm.

"Daniel! Get to the gate and dial it!" Jack barked through gritted teeth. Daniel nodded and set off at a sprint to the Stargate that was a good 15 minutes away, even if you were running. "Ahh!" Jack yelled as his other foot broke the surface, he fell a few inches until the ground pinned his waist. It looked as if the surface they had been walking on was actually hollow; the largest crack that had emerged near Teal'c was now a gaping hole, allowing them to see the large cave beneath them. The cavern was about the length of a football pitch and twice as wide.

"Colonel!" Carter screamed and locked her other arm with his. Teal'c had jogged over, not willing to get too close to the pair in case his weight compromised the unstable ground further.

The pair were circled by a spider's web of cracks and fissures; Teal'c was amazed that the ground hadn't given out already. The hole that had started near Teal'c's feet was widening further while the planet grumbled angrily. Teal'c stood helpless as Carter struggled to pull the Colonel from his trap. She had kneeled down to get to his level being sure to stay on the ring platform which seemed to be sturdier than the rest of the ground.

"Sir! I can't pull you without disturbing the ground further," she said, voice still strong and confident. "Is there anywhere below you that you may be able to use as a foothold?"

"There is nothing below, Carter, as far as I can tell," Jack said calmly. Teal'c often admired how his friends managed to remain so composed in situations such as these. O'Neill's face, however, had paled from the pain and Major Carter's forehead was sweating lightly but they didn't panic for each other's sake. "Teal'c could you see if you could make your way over here?" O'Neill said.

Teal'c inched his foot cautiously over towards them. He could feel the feebleness of the earth beneath his foot so brought his knee down and knelt to alleviate pressure. A crack appeared from where his knee touched the ground. Teal'c raised an eyebrow towards O'Neill. He nodded to indicate that Teal'c should carry on further. The large man stood up, returning to his original strategy, and checked each step he took towards them, treading softly until...

CRACK! POP! A fracture appeared at Teal'c's foot sped towards Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter. It stopped just short of reaching the Colonel's waist. Jack let out the breath he was holding.

"I don't think you can help this time, big guy," Jack grinned. His skin had grown very ashen and thin sheen of sweat coated his brow, his breath was heavy and sharp. Carter wasn't pulling on his arms any more but he still held on tightly to her wrist causing his knuckles to be as white as his face had turned. Teal'c couldn't tell if this was his fear of falling further or that he just needed the comfort at that moment, the Jaffa could take a good guess though. Teal'c nodded. "Help…Daniel," Jack gasped. Breathing was getting harder for him. The ground was gripping him tightly with nothing to push against his legs, it was constricting his breathing. "Tell the SGC what's happened. Both of you. It's too dangerous to stay longer and I don't think I'm going anywhere," It was then he let go of Carter.

"No, sir," she said firmly.

"Please Carter, don't argue with me now," Jack said "It's not fair, you have a better supply of oxygen," he grinned to reassure her.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said and pointed to the larger gap that was growing towards them from Teal'c's previous location. The hole had grown into a rectangular shape that was about 6 or 7 metres long and 2 metres across. It was increases in length towards them.

"Fer cryin out loud," It sped up towards them "Carter, Teal'c, move!" Jack ordered.

Teal'c immediately rolled away from the oncoming pit but Carter grabbed the Colonel's wrists once more and tried to pull him out of the ground. Teal'c watched wide-eyed as the crack met them and broke O'Neill free and he fell below the surface, Jack desperately held onto his Major as she flattened herself against the ground to lessen the pressure on the surface. Jack heard her shoulder pop as his weight pulled it out of the socket.

She screamed in agony and let go of his arm. "Teal'c! Get help!" she shouted. There were tears in her eyes and dust coated her face and lips.

Teal'c made one more attempt at getting closer but stopped when the cracks widened and snapped menacingly at him.

"I will be back soon, hold on," Teal'c said gravely and sprinted in the direction of the gate and hopefully where Daniel stood waiting.

"Sir! I can't pull you up, how far is the drop below you?" Sam asked facing the Colonel. Jack twisted his head to look below him and immediately regretted doing so and scrunched his eyes shut.

"Carter, I can't even see the bottom in daylight,"

"Are you near a wall?" she said coughing out some dust that was continuing to invade her nose and throat.

He glimpsed around at the wide cavern and found no hope; he looked at Carter and their locked wrists. He was slipping even now, he didn't want to grab the other one in fear of injuring her further. Her eyes were red and watering from the vast amount of grit that was attacking them.

"It's too dangerous for you to be here, Major," Jack said in his most commanding voice. His voice croaked "Let go,"

"No, sir," she whispered. Her shoulder protested loudly at her to get up from the hard ground, she could hardly see from all the dust in her eyes, that was also clogging her air passages.

"Sam…" she looked straight at him. His dark eyes were pleading for her to get away to safety. "Please, let me go,"

"No!" she shouted at him. The ground started shifting beneath her and crumbs of dirt fell away from the hole Jack had made. A loud snap sounded close by. The whole earth was falling away "Teal'c and Daniel will be back and we'll be able to get you out. You just have to hang on a little longer, sir,"

"Carter! The ground is literally breaking away around you! Get out before you fall too," Jack said "This is a direct order, Major, LET GO!" Jack released his grip fell a few inches. Without both of them holding on he slipped further and quicker from her grasp. Desperation was in her eyes, tears streamed her face as she watched him gradually slip away from her.

"No," she whispered. He locked eyes with her.

He fell from her grasp and out of her sight.

"SIR!" she screamed letting more grit coat her throat. Her eyes scanned the darkness and her ears listened for sounds of impact or his voice telling her he was fine or anything other than the ominous cracking and popping of unstable ground. "JACK!" her voice echoed.

_please reveiw. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Seriously, I was AMAZED by the response to the first chapter! Did I mention how much I love you guys? Thank you so much, those really made my day. Ok so here's the next part, it's a bit short but there's more coming, if you're really quick at reviewing I may even have it out by the end of the day. -hint hint-_

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She got off her stomach and rested on her knees.

She couldn't believe it. Everything appeared to move so slowly, the opening fractures in the ground just calmed and crumbled quietly. It didn't seem to matter to her that the earth was opening up around her, threatening to swallow her too. She wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand which only succeeded in pushing more grit in her eyes.

"Arrrgh!" She screamed in frustration with herself and pounded the already dangerous ground with her fists. Her eyes stung horribly, her mouth was dry and every gulp of air managed to let more dust enter her lungs.

She staggered to her feet and held her arm to her chest to stop it swinging helplessly. Sam made her way through the maze of ever moving platforms of ground, determined to make it back to the Stargate. Every step she took could've been her last. She'd get the SGC to send rescue units, anything. She could hardly see, everything was cloudy and confused. She'd let go. Why? He can't be gone. He was alive, she knew.

She fell to her knees in grief, he just can't dead, there was still a chance. She knew it was a risk of the job; it was inevitable that one of them would have to watch the other endure pain, suffering and even possibly death. The whole team knew that, the whole base knew that. You know it does happen, but you just think that it'll never happen to you, never to the Colonel.

And it hurt. It hurt so damn much. The tears that fell from her eyes had nothing to do with the grit and dust that swept over her face and clothes. It started to rain and she didn't care.

"Major Carter!" her radio crackled to life.

"I copy, Teal'c," she managed to say. His voice broke her out of her dream.

"O'Neill is not answering his radio," his tone had an edge of concern.

"He fell Teal'c," she croaked out "I'm making my way back now- Ahh!" a crack opened at her feet and she fell quickly. Her good arm caught the edge of the hole she fell through but she could already feel the piece breaking off. "No," she said to herself.

"Major Carter! Are you alright?"

She couldn't reach her radio respond. Her bad arm hung lifelessly at her side. She swung trying to catch her foot on any surface to lift herself up.

There was nothing.

Her hand was sliding off the ledge slowly. She couldn't fall, she had to find him. He was injured. The piece broke off and that was it. Raindrops drumming on her head and shoulders, she fell.

And she hit water, feet first.

It was deep, at least 20 feet deep itself. She went below the water and her body twisted in surprise, she struggled trying to find the surface but her eyes were coated in dirt that would not leave, even under the water. Her right arm was completely useless. Her lungs burned from the dust and lack of oxygen, she thrashed in the water, struggling for life…air.

She swam in any direction in hopes of finding the surface. Her knee hit the bottom of the lake and she despaired. It took all her strength to stop herself gulping in water. She pushed off from the bottom and found herself breaking the surface much sooner than she had expected. She was exhausted and her shoulder was painful and stabbing as she tried using it to reach the shore.

She found mud. It seeped under her fingernails as she scrabbled further onto the land, slipping and raking the shore, she lifted herself unsteadily to her feet and looked around and up at the hole she fell through. If she fell onto the water maybe the Colonel had too. He could be here. She felt the hope swell in her chest and she started slipping across the mud sodden ground in the direction of the ring platform.

_:) Tell me what you think! (Please don't be too cruel, I'm a fragile person)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Look, I got it out by the end of the day, go me! Hope you like it, I love everyone's reviews.

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"Colonel!" she yelled. Her voice reverberated off the jagged walls of the cavern, feeling a desperate need to find him so strong it clinged to her heart until it was almost a physical pain. "SIR!" she glanced around. It was dark but the ceiling was opening up as the earth rumbled on.

She slipped over the mud and quickened her pace around the lake. "JACK!" she almost screamed. She looked around with sharp movements of her head, not willing to miss anything. A piercing crack sounded from above her and she was immediately pounded by slabs of the dry earth. It hit her shoulder and scraped her arms and face, it brought more dust into the cloudy cave. Her eyes were almost useless, she couldn't see past the grey dirt that had lodged in her lashes and eye lids. It covered her hair and gave it eerie light grey highlights but worst of all it hung in the air around her and mixed with the water to make deep mud making her search hopeless.

She thanked the person who had designed army issue boots that they made them impossible to remove as the mud sucked at her feet and ankles. Lifting her feet was strenuous but she carried on around the water's edge struggling to see anything.

Cradling her arm against her chest she moved quickly. She had to get out of the deep mud around the lake, moving away from the water would be the best choice but Sam was afraid that if she wandered away she would eventually get lost or walk round in circles. Looking around at the cavern walls, a good 60 metres away from the lake she could just make out tunnels branching off in all directions. Wherever she was, it was a man-made structure and at one time probably inhabited. Daniel would have a field day.

The thought of Daniel made her reach for her radio only to find it missing. She had had it out when she fell; her best guess told her it was probably at the bottom of the lake by now. She could only hope they found where she fell somehow. In the meantime, she would find the Colonel.

"COLONEL!" she shouted but only her echoes answered her.

Despite their excellent design Sam could feel the mud seeping into her boots; it was cold and uncomfortable as she struggled on through the liquid earth. Above her she could here the surface calming down, not as much dirt filled the air and despite her stinging eyes, the cavern came into sharper focus.

It was huge; she couldn't even see the end of it. The crumbling surface had made skylights but they didn't seem to affect the immense darkness of it. She looked up and realised with a shock that she had fallen much further than she first thought, she was lucky she had hit water. A sickening thought invaded her thoughts, what if Colonel O'Neill hadn't been so lucky? As far as she could see the lake spread out until way past her range of vision. It was possible that the lake was as deep if not deeper all the way across, however a lake was no place for an injured person, even if it had saved their life temporarily. Sam scanned the surface for a disturbance, at this point a struggling body would have been a relief. Anything had to be better than not knowing.

Gazing at the walls she could see, she looked at any possibility of climbing to the surface. Her brow creased in confusion as she spotted more tunnels branching off further up. Some even had stairways coming off them, of course, the years and the plant life hadn't been kind to them and most of them had crumbled away. The Colonel could have landed on one of them further up.

"SIR!" she called, catching a thread of hope that he might answer. It was a large place, a small world below the surface of the planet. A lake, foliage covered the walls, insects buzzing over the surface of the rain splattered water, she wouldn't be surprised to see animals living in the tunnels, under the water. It was a whole ecosystem so different from the dry wasteland above.

She peered into the distance; it appeared that only this section of the roof had become unstable, further in was coated with darkness. For all she knew the lake and this cavern could carry on for miles. She picked up her feet and carried on around the edge of the massive pool, straining her muscles as she battled through the clinging mud. The chances were that the Colonel had fallen close to shore as she did and made it to the perimeter, with any luck she could find him easily. It was either that or he hit the ground, he hit the lake from too high up and the water had acted like concrete or he was still in the lake somewhere swimming or drowning. She chose to believe the former. If one thing could be said for the Colonel, it was that he didn't die easily. They had plenty of enemies that could support that.

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"The earthquake has subsided, General but the ground it still pretty unstable. The area where we found the ring platform looked extremely thin," Daniel spoke into the MALP. He had been unwilling to leave without Sam or Jack and Teal'c felt the same way especially after the terrifying conversation with Sam over the radio. They had no idea if either of them were alive or whether they were too injured to make their way back.

"Has either Colonel O'Neill or Major Carter answered their radio?" Came the gruff and saddened voice of Hammond.

"No sir, but it's possible that the drop was not that far and they're still alive," Daniel said "We'll need a rescue team, the cavern looked large and dark, I don't know how far it extends,"

"Dr Jackson, I can't send anymore people until I can be sure that the tremors have actually stopped and until I am completely debriefed of the state of the planet," Hammond said gravely. "I promise you I will do my best to get them home but I need you and Teal'c back here to talk me through what happened," There was silence "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes General," Daniel sighed "We'll be back in 10," and the gate shut off.

Daniel sat down dejectedly at the foot of the Stargate and keyed his radio one last time before helping Teal'c to pack their equipment into the MALP. "Jack, Sam…do you read? Well, if you can hear this…hang in there, we're getting help,"


	4. Chapter 4

_Here ya go guys! Enjoy. Relax. Put your feet up.

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Sam grimaced as another stab of pain coursed through her shoulder. The dim light was making her eyes tired and the constant battle between her legs and the mud was making her wearier and thirsty. She reached for her canteen only find it open and empty. She cursed lightly to herself and moved closer to the lake peering into the murky water, hardly a good source. She searched her pouches for the purification pills and counted them, she had six in total. A canteen a day, she had enough for about a week if she stretched it. She crouched down at the edge of the water and dipped the open canteen into the water.

A flicker of movement drew her eye to further into the lake. The water was rippling but that wasn't unusual. There was probably plenty of fish with the amount of plant life that seemed to thrive in this darkened hole. It was remarkable considering the very small quantity of sunlight, even that seemed out of place in the dark cavern. Movement caught her eye once more and she tensed, bringing her canteen out of the water and closing the cap. Something large was in the lake.

She moved slowly out onto the ground, not taking her eyes off the surface of the eerily still lake. Bubbles frothed off to her right and a dark shape slunk away into the depths.

A terrible screech made her head snap to her left where a giant fishlike creature burst unexpectedly from the water, jaws wide aiming for her face. She caught a glimpse of horrifying red fangs and cold black eyes before she jumped away with fright and ran further ashore. The creature flung it's incredibly long tail forward and tripped Sam over, face first into the deep mud. She felt wet, sticky rope wrap around her ankle and start to drag her closer to the water. She flipped onto her back and realised the rope was actually the creatures tongue, hungrily pulling her closer to those fangs. The tongue was white and covered in a sticky green slim that oozed from its jowls. It was essentially an over-sized fish with a tail that looked as if it had been stretched like and over-used elastic band.

Sam kicked and brought the P-90 into her usable arm and pulled the trigger. She despaired as the gun made a sad clunk. The mechanisms disabled by the amount of mud clogging its interior, she discarded the useless weapon and unsheathed a knife from a pouch on her side. Sam gave a defiant kick as she closed on the creature's position, hitting square between the eyes. It snapped its jaws in anger and screeched again. Sam brought the knife down on its tongue, cutting it in half. A blood-curdling scream emanated from the fish's throat. Blood spurting from its damaged mouth, it flipped and thrashed, propelling itself back into the water.

Sam scrambled away from the shore until she felt the cold surface of the wall and slid down to lean her back against it. Heart in her throat, throbbing for the whole world to hear. She glanced at her ankle and recoiled in horror at the slimy tongue still latched to it. Unravelling it, she flung it back to the water. The skin on her ankle and leg burned hot against the alien substance and she felt beads of sweat form on her brow. Pain prickled along her veins, a sure sign that, either she was allergic to the creature's saliva or, more likely, it was designed to be poisonous.

She leant her head back against the wall and stared up at the sky through the holes that scattered the ceiling. It was getting dark, the sky was pink with evening glow and the two moons were already visible.

"Colonel!" she cried again. By now, she didn't really expect an answer; she just needed to hear a voice even if it was her own. Her head was becoming cloudy and confused, she needed to sleep. The temperature was dropping dramatically as the sun disappeared and she had next to no strength left.

She stood. A few more minutes of searching for him then she would allow herself to rest. She realised with a start that she could no longer feel the foot than had the tongue latched onto it and her calf was paralysed. She cursed at the frustrated tears that were forming in her eyes. Big girls don't cry. She gritted her teeth and started moving slowly around the lake again, taking each step carefully and lopsidedly on the slippery mud.

"Colonel!" she called out across the lake, listening to her echoes. Her eyes stung madly as she rubbed away the tiredness, successfully pushing the dirt further in.

"Sir!" she tried again. By her reckoning, she was getting closer and closer to where he fell; with any luck she could determine what happened to him from what was there, hoping against hope that she wouldn't find a body to confirm her fears.

She abruptly met another wall, cutting the lake off. She had gone as far as she could with no sign of the Colonel. Dead or alive. She was so sure that he had made it to the shore, maybe he had tried to find a way out through the many tunnels. Maybe…maybe the creature had got him while he was still trying to make it. She sat down on the mud and gave up for the night. She was never going to find him. "Colonel!" her voice croaked out.

She sighed when only her voice replied.

"Carter?" a voice rasped.

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Please Review :) Thank you._


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks for your support, guys. I really enjoy reading your reviews. I have to sleep now. Night night.

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"Sir?" she sat up and glanced around but was met only by the impenetrable darkness.

"Carter…" his voice came again; it was strained and quiet but close. "Carter…where are you?"

She quickly drew out the flashlight and tried the switch. Thanking whatever divine power there was when the light came on and scanned the surrounding area. "I can't see you, sir," she said "Keep talking," Her heart soared and she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her mouth.

"I thought I ordered you back to the gate?" his voice rasped.

"Well, no, actually, sir. You ordered me to let go, and I did, so technically this is not defying orders," she looked around and her flashlight fell on the wall she was leaning against.

"Smarty-pants," came the muffled reply.

"I thought you were dead," she admitted quietly.

"So did I,"

There was a pause until Carter shook herself out of what could have been

"Sir, I think you're on the other side of the wall," Sam said crouching down next to it. "Have you moved since you fell?"

"Well, as much as I enjoy swimming, Carter. I thought it best that I should go lie down in the mud,"

"There must be more than one room to this place,"

"Room?" his voice went high in bemusement "This is a _building_?"

"Well, sir. It is essentially four walls, a ceiling and a floor," she said "Plus there are staircases and corridors,"

"Really?" he sounded tired "I haven't had much chance to move arou-"

"Sir?" Sam called when he was cut off. She held her breath when he wouldn't answer.

"Carter!" his whispered voice barely reached through the wall. "There's something in the lake,"

"Colonel, are you near the shore?" she asked quickly. "Sir, you need to get away from the shore _now_!" she ordered.

"Ya think?" he replied sardonically. "There's a problem with that plan, Carter. My leg is trapped under a pile of rubble," his voice was getting fast with panic.

"There must be a way to your side, a doorway, maybe one of the tunnels," she rushed.

"Well Carter, I hate to hurry you but it's coming this way," she heard shuffling and scraping of stone on stone. "I can't get out! Carter!" she now heard the splashing of the water from his side. She stood back from the wall and looked up and around searching for someway through with her flashlight.

"I can't see a way, Colonel!" she cried desperately.

"Carter, I order you to come here _now!_" he shouted.

She ran her hands along the wall, looking for anything, a weak spot, an opening. "I can't!"

"You will!" he cried. Scraping and grunts sounded from his own efforts "I can see bubbles, Carter!"

Her fingers ran over cracks in the wall until she found a hole only big enough to fit her arm through. She put her hand into the hole to find the stone to be only about 3 inches deep. "I found something, sir!"

"That's great, Carter," he said nervously "I've found something too, it's big and long with large red teeth,"

"I coming, sir," she started ramming the wall with her shoulder and elated at the satisfying cracks that sounded.

"Carter, it's not doing anything," he gasped from the pain. "It's just staring,"

She carried on pummelling the wall with her good shoulder, she had to keep getting her bearings because her left leg became more and more numb as time went by. Taking the butt of her P-90 she used to widen the hole until it was big enough to fit her shoulder and head through. She stopped and stuck her head through to look at the situation. The Colonel was sitting in front of her, his leg stuck under a large slab of rock and his face pale in the moonlight. He was staring at the water, sweat shining on his forehead as he watched the fishlike creature swim from side to side as if it was pacing. Its coal black eyes were watching the Colonel cautiously as its long tail flicked menacingly.

"Why isn't it attacking you?" she asked the Colonel. He turned his head slowly to give her incredulous look.

"I don't know, Carter!" he whispered "I'm not up to date on scary, ugly fish psychology!"

"Right," she said and quickly got to work on widening the hole further. She kicked out with her good foot and succeeded in crumbling a large part of the wall. The hole wasn't very wide but large enough for her to squeeze herself through. Once on the other side she softly limped over to where the Colonel lay trapped and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. Kneeling beside him she checked his leg and the weight of the rock.

"Carter," he whispered. It was only then she noticed just how close their faces were as he spoke into her ear, his breath tickling the lobe. "It's gone under,"

She looked up at his face to see a solemn expression, eyes scanning the surroundings. "I'll have you out in a minute, sir," she whispered back. She moved awkwardly, favouring her numb leg, round to his right and started removing the smaller rocks off the bigger slab, only too aware of the silence that surrounded them.

The Colonel was tense with anticipation, expecting to see a giant monster burst from the murky depths. For her part, Sam kept moving, slowly freeing his leg, rock by rock.

"Bubbles," he said joining her efforts in shifting some of the heavier slabs.

"Bubbles?" she questioned and looked up. There were bubbles and they were large and fast. The same type she noticed before she was attacked from a completely different direction. Snapping her head round a fraction too slow she looked just in time to spot a flash of red and a bright white rope. "SIR!" she flung an arm over him to protect him from the creature, blocking him from view. The tongue lashed out aiming for her elbow.

"CARTER!" he shifted beneath her as the white whip snapped around her wrist tugging her arm. Jack unsheathed his knife and slashed down on the tongue and the same high-pitched screech filled the cavern. The fish snatched its tongue back and flipped over back into the water, screaming in anger. Sam didn't wait to be told and began pulling the slab upwards and off the Colonel with her one good arm. Unfortunately it was her left arm and her efforts were not as good as she would have hoped. Luckily or…unluckily, it depended on how you looked at it, the pain in her dislocated shoulder was residing as the poison numbed it. "More bubbles, Major," Jack said with a real edge of fear in his voice. "Go, get out of the way!" he ordered.

"Not this time, sir," she said calmly, giving up trying to move it with her arms and got down next to the Colonel and began kicking it off with her good leg. Jack joined in by using his free leg to shift the rock. A hoarse livid screech rung out and a large force hit Sam's head so it slammed backward to impact with the rock. Her vision whitened and then became very dull very quickly.

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_Don't you just love cliff-hangers? I love cliff-hangers…you might have noticed. _


	6. Chapter 6

_I apologise for all the cliff-hangers, sometimes I don't even realise I've made one, I just think 'this sounds like a fun place to stop,' and stop writing. I hope this isn't one, if it is, I will try and get the next chapter out pronto. :)

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"Carter!" Another pained screech resounded as Sam tried to shake off the blotched vision. She fought to keep conscious, to keep her eyes open and focusing but it was hard. "Carter, are you with me? Come on, just a little more and I'm free." Jack's hands cupped her cheeks and forced her head to look at him. His fingers were bloody and she felt it trickle down her face. "Sam," he whispered.

Blinking hard, she sat up again and kicked out at the slab rebelliously, shifting it another inch. She looked around to find the source of the constant screaming, spotting the fish desperately trying to get back to the water. Flipping and gurgling and screaming for the lake, tugging against its tail that was pinned down by a large rock next to them. "Did you do that?" she asked Jack, resuming her kicking.

"It asked for it," he said gruffly. "We need to lift this, Carter," he said as he watched more and more of his leg come free.

"Yes sir," She got up on her good leg that was tired from the constant exercise and tried again to lift it. She only lifted it a few inches before his leg was free enough for him to pull it out on his own.

She dropped it as soon as she was sure he had got completely clear of the rubble. He limped to his feet and put an arm around her, obviously worried she was going to collapse on him. Giving one last glance at the screeching creature he stopped, surprised and indicated with the nod of his head for Sam to look too. She turned slowly so her head wouldn't make the world spin and took in the grotesque sight before her. The creature had stopped its ear-splitting screech and had started gurgling loudly as it jumped and twitched in a sort of seizure.

Was it dying? Was it still trying to escape? They couldn't tell. She was about to open her mouth to ask the Colonel when the creature stopped still, breathing heavily. She watched, sickened, as the gills on the fishes neck closed up as if they were being zipped. The eyes ceased to be fully black and irises appeared bordered by white to make them look more mammal-like, more attuned to seeing above water. These changes seemed insignificant when the fins started to change shape, bones sprouted out from the torso followed by muscle and finally oily grey skin replaced the glinting scales. Another leg appeared ending a foot and toes that looked very much like a human foot and human toes. Human arms and shoulders formed below the neck creating front legs by lengthening the arms to look ape-like and resting on it's haunches. The head was still fishlike with its wide gaping mouth and impressive array of blood-red fangs but the face squashed inwards and the back of the head pinched to form a neck. The tail shrunk, freeing itself from the rock and formed a stouter, stronger one but still very much a fish's tail. It began to stand on shaking legs like a new-born foal getting used to walking for the first time. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The Colonel brought her out of her reverie by forcing her to limp towards one of the tunnels.

"I think it's about time we got out of here," he said simply.

"Yes sir," they could hear the creature struggling to find its feet, slipping on the slick mud near the water, trying out its new throat with an almost human scream.

The pair moved slowly with their combined injuries, both trying to support each other while escaping into the dark passageway. Sam kept checking behind her to make sure the…thing…wasn't following. It seemed exhausted, collapsed on the ground, whatever it had done, it took a lot out of it.

They carried on down the endless corridor, turning corners until there was no light at all and no way for the creature to find them. Sam went over the turns they had taken in her head and committed them to memory before talking to the Colonel.

"We need to find a place to sleep, sir," she said quietly. Jack looked at her out of the corner of his eye and stopped his trek.

"You're right," he said. She could here the pain in his voice and the heat that radiated off him.

"I need to check your leg," she said pulling his arm off her shoulder and lowering him down to the ground. They had reached another corner and he positioned himself so he was evenly resting on both walls. He blinked when Carter's flashlight snapped on, looking back the way he had come he prayed that he would never see that creature again. He waited patiently as Carter brought out her knife and cut his pant leg up to his thigh. She apologized with a look and he forced a smile to tell her he was ok. She put the torch in her mouth to make looking at his leg easier while she worked. Blood trickling down the side of her face from a large gash on her temple he winced and immediately felt guilty. She shouldn't be here tending his injuries, she shouldn't have had to face that _thing_. Opening a pocket in his vest he brought out his own small first aid kit and dabbed some antiseptic on a clothe and just as she was doing to his leg, he held it to her cut.

"Thanks sir," she flinched at the stinging.

"I need to pop your shoulder back in too," he said gravely. She looked at him and then at her shoulder, obviously dreading the moment when he had to do it. He dabbed her face gently, cleaning the wound carefully while she placed bandages over his scraped shins. She looked up at him and their eyes locked, the concern for each other evident. Jack looked down not willing to fall too deeply into those blue pools, he cleared his throat.

"I think your ankles broken," she said shifting into a more comfortable position. "I don't have anything to splint it with. I saw some branches near the lake, I could go back-"

"Negative, Major," he said "We are going no where near that lake," he winced as the memory of her head colliding with the rock flashed in his mind.

"But sir, we need to go back eventually for Daniel or Teal'c to find us,"

"Do they even know we're alive?" Jack asked.

"That wont stop them trying, sir," she said finishing the bandage with a flourish.

"True," he sighed at the inevitable. He just hoped they wouldn't do anything stupid or dangerous in the attempt to find them. Carter shouldn't even have come. She leant against the wall next to him and closed her eyes.

* * *

_Thanks for putting up with me. _


	7. Chapter 7

_Ok, so this is just a rest from all the action and weird mutating fish things. **ChappaEyebrow: **Regarding the title…your guess is as good as mine :) **SG1-Fanfic: **Thank you, I always worry whether I'm portraying the character properly and your review really encouraged me. _

_**I would love to reply to all of your reviews but unfortunately the AN would be as long as the chapter. All your reviews are wonderful. So, on with the show!

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**_

"Colonel?" her voice sounded confused. He looked at her, worried. "What happened to my head?"

"You don't remember?" he asked, shifting position to look at her injury more closely. It was still bleeding but not as much as before. Her pupils were dilated in a dazed expression but he wasn't sure if that was just from the dim light.

"I remember trying to get you out then the next thing I remember is we were on our feet and watching that…creature,"

"You have a concussion," he said, unwrapping the bandages in his own pack and taping them to her forehead tenderly. She sighed in resignation and let him help her. "Let me get to your shoulder," he said softly taking her arm. She looked at him, pleading in her eyes. "I'll be quick, I promise,"

"Yes sir," she closed her eyes and waited for the pain to come. She opened them when she couldn't feel anything. The Colonel was looking her, puzzled.

"Didn't you feel anything?" he asked.

"No,"

"Really? Nothing?" he asked. "Wow, I wish I was so lucky," It was meant to lighten the mood but the unease was too strong in his tone.

"I think there is saliva in the poison that affects the victim's nerve-endings," she said slurring her words.

"Saliva in the poison, eh?" Jack grinned at the normally articulate Major mixing her words.

"Shut up, I have a head injury," she said sleepily. He chuckled at the insubordination then immediately began to worry about the uncharacteristic words.

"Isn't poisoning a bad thing?" he asked.

"Well, in this case I think it just paralyses," she said. Noting his worried expression she added "I'll be fine, it's already wearing off in my leg,"

"Your leg?" Jack said. "You've seen that thing before?"

"Yes…" her voice trailed off as she lost consciousness again.

"Carter?" Jack said squinting in the darkness. "Sam?"

He took off his jacket and lay her down properly, wincing as he leant on his ankle. Rolling up his jacket he made a make-shift pillow for her head and placed it down. Taking her into his arms he gently positioned her down on it and made her comfortable. He looked at her in the dim light, her face covered in dry blood, mud and dust from the surface…she looked beautiful. He grinned at his idiocy, a normal person would say she looked a mess. Thanking whatever power that was watching over them that she came to his rescue, he realised with a gulp that if she hadn't come he'd probably be in the belly of a big fish right now.

He saddened when he thought of her being harmed, sometimes he couldn't stand the fact that every time he walked through that gate he might have to watch her get hurt. He closed his eyes in a grimace as he remembered her face as she flung her arm out to protect him. When he was alone, at home, and he let his thoughts wander with the help of a beer he remembered those sorts of moments with regret. Zatarc testing, that damned force field! Finding her drugged in the mock up of the SGC (with thanks to Hathor) . Each one tugged at his mind, played with his tired heart.

One day, she'll go through that gate and one them will leave the other forever without knowing how he really felt. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair away from face. Her eyes fluttered open and he quickly retracted his hand, cursing himself silently for thinking about his 2IC like that at all. Forget, Jack! She's moved on.

"Sir?" she whispered.

"Shh," he soothed "Go to sleep, Sam, you've had one hell of a day," She nodded in agreement and brought her own hand up to rub her forehead.

"Wake me up in a couple of hours and I'll take watch, sir," she said.

"Carter?"

"Hmmm?" she said tiredly. What? What are you going to say, Jack? Screw the regs? Do you really think that this is the best time for a conversation like this? Do you think you're ready for a conversation like this? She's hardly conscious, fer cryin out loud! Just face it O'Neill, you know that she would never cross that line and you're too much of a coward to do anything about it.

"Nothing,"

"Ok, sir,"

A small amount of time went by before Sam's breathing became soft and regular and the slow rise and fall of her chest was the only movement in the damp tunnel. Jack couldn't help watching her, she looked so peaceful. He shook his head as if he was mentally shaking off all inappropriate thoughts and looked down the tunnel back the way they had come. It wasn't going to happen.

* * *

"Sir, I understand your reluctance to travel back to that planet but I urge you to get a team there to retrieve them quickly," Daniel implored to the General.

Janet was efficiently tending to his cuts and bruises even though none of them were life-threatening but the temptation to listen in on this conversation was too much.

Teal'c stepped forward to give his view "I believe the chasm that they fell into may not withstand another earthquake,"

"That's what I'm afraid of Teal'c," Hammond sighed and closed his eyes. "I want SG-3 and SG-6 ready in half an hour, Doctor," he said turning to Fraiser. "I want you and your people ready for a trip offworld," She gave a curt nod.

Daniel opened his mouth to start talking. "Of course, Dr Jackson and Teal'c, gear up,"

"Thank you, sir," Daniel said jumping from the bed.

"Let's bring them home,"

* * *

_This isn't a cliff hanger, right?_


	8. Chapter 8

_Oky doky, next chapter. I promise more action in the next one.

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_

A couple of hours past and Jack became increasingly worried about his 2IC's unconscious state. Head injuries are not to be taken lightly and the paleness of her skin and the dark contrast of the blood on her temple did nothing to reassure him. Running a hand through his greying hair, he attempted to deter the tugs of his own tiredness that seemed to creep up on him more as he grew older. He lay down next to Carter, supporting himself on a scraped elbow and drew closer to her ear.

"Carter," he whispered shaking her shoulder a little. Her eyes fluttered open allowing the dim light to reflect off and brighten her eyes. Deep blue darted to and fro, dazed from the pain she must feel. "Gooood morning campers, this is your Colonel speaking, the weather forecast for today is damp with a slight possibility of mildew," She graced him with a grin and grimace as the soreness hit her. "How are you doing?" he asked softly.

"My head hurts," she said simply.

"What? That?" he said pointing at the nasty gash. "That's just a scratch,"

"Yes, sir," she smiled at his effort to cheer her up. "What about you?"

Jack sighed and looked down at his leg remembering the agony as the rock crushed his ankle and ripped his thigh, the swelling in his knees had thankfully receded but he doubted it had done anything to help the fact that his knees always seemed to be shot.

"I'm getting too old for this, Carter," he admitted.

Sam just smiled; it seemed every week that sentence crept out of his mouth. "What's the plan?" she asked as she tried to sit up. The Colonel took his arm and her shoulder and steadied her as she rose.

"You mean you haven't thought of one yet?" he joked.

"We should probably try and contact Daniel or Teal'c, sir,"

Jack nodded.

"Do you have your radio?" he asked.

"No, don't you?"

"Smashed under a rock," Jack frowned; this wasn't going to be easy. "Do you think there's a way to the surface through these tunnels?"

"Well, if it is a building I think we can safely assume that there was once an entrance, if it still exists I don't know," Carter said closing her eyes to fight against the throbbing headache. "These tunnels also look pretty intricate; I don't think that guessing our way through them is the best idea,"

"Well we can't go back to the lake and face Fishboy, at least not until we've recuperated a little," he said gesturing to his leg and her head. "What was that thing, anyway?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, sir,"

"I doubt that, Major,"

Carter then became animated as she endeavoured to figure something out in her head, one of his favourite Carter expressions.

"It's almost as if it recorded something from our DNA and duplicated it to adapt itself to living on the shore, like evolution but fast forwarded and made more efficient. Its whole shape has become humanoid while still retaining the characteristics that aided it in its former shape. The teeth, large eyes for dim light and the tail was a formidable weapon," Jack looked at her in amazement as she prattled off more biology than he'd learnt in a lifetime and it wasn't even her field of expertise. "What?" she asked. Jumping as if he'd been electrocuted he realised he'd been staring.

"I thought you had a head injury?"

"It doesn't affect my ability to think all together, sir,"

"I'd be astonished at anything that did, Carter," he said "So this fish thing took our DNA, decided it'd like legs today and made some?"

Carter nodded. "It's more likely it's the body's reaction to being close to death, if you remember you trapped it out of the water. Something within it obviously registered it was dying and changed itself in order to survive,"

"So if I had let it alone, it'd be safely in the water and not in danger of sneaking up on us at any moment?"

"Well it could've changed anyway just so it'd be better equipped to catch its prey, sir,"

"That makes me feel so much better, Carter," he said sarcastically. "So, let's review, shall we? We can't go further into the tunnels in case we get lost and lose any chance of getting to the surface, we can't go back the way we came because of Fishboy with his bad dental plan and we can't stay still because the thing we inevitably catch up with us. Am I missing something?"

"The fact is, sir, we need to get to the cavern to await the rescue and as much as I don't want a confrontation in our state, I think it's unavoidable,"

She was right. As usual. "Right," he affirmed "Have you got a weapon that's not clogged up with mud?"

"Zats, sir, flares, grenades, knives and we could always try to clean the ones we have,"

"I don't think trying to clean the weapons in this environment would do anything, they'd probably just get clogged again in combat," he sighed. "I don't want to use grenades or any explosives just in case the whole structure comes down on us and knives are to close for my comfort,"

"Zats then, sir?"

He nodded, feeling slightly nauseous as he remembered the grotesque creature oozing new skin over familiar bones and the glint of teeth under a wide-mouthed smile. He didn't feel good about this, actually the more he thought about it, their situation sucked. They didn't know what they were up against, what characteristics the creature changed and which it decided to keep, all they knew was that it was dangerous and hungry.

"My handgun is still fairly clean, if we shoot up a flare and use the gun to shoot up a red clothe at least they'll know we're still alive and looking for a rescue," he said gruffly. He could feel himself sweating; he had a bad feeling about this. He brushed his forehead with his sleeve and rested it against the cool rock, letting the moist walls cool his heated head.

Sam placed an attentive hand on his shoulder and looked closely at him as he struggled to hide the pain he was feeling. "I'm fine, Carter, stop babying me,"

"Yes, sir," she said, breaking contact. "I'll keep watch," Sitting herself up so she could lean against the damp wall, she registered Jack's smile of gratitude and forced her eyes away from him to look down the corridor.

* * *

_Keep all the wonderful reviews coming._


	9. Chapter 9

_Hello, here it is. The next chapter, for some reason this one was very iffy about being put up and my computer crashed! grrrrrr. Thanks for the great reviews, they really make my day.

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_

She rocked slowly back and forth, bringing her knees to her chest so she could rest her chin on them. Her head was confused and her eyes tired, she had a strange tingling in her leg and arm but at least they weren't numb anymore. Staying alert was proving difficult, her mind wandering at will to chores she had put off until she got back, food in the fridge that would probably go off if they didn't find a way off the planet soon. She glanced at the Colonel; his eyes were still open, flicking away from her quickly as he broke his stare. She hated it when he constantly checked up on her; after all, she was quite capable of looking after herself. It was probably just him being the good commander; make sure your subordinates don't collapse on you. However, she couldn't help but hope that the deep concern that flashed in his eyes wasn't just her imagination. It kept her confident, built her up just to know that someone was looking out for her, watching her six.

He shifted in position and grumbled into the makeshift pillow his jacket made. Calming down, he stilled again and let out a sigh. Then he squirmed again…then again until he finally gave up with a defiant 'hurumph' and perched himself on the rock next to her. Trying desperately not to smile at his discomfort she gave what she thought was a sympathetic look.

"It isn't funny, Carter," Obviously not sympathetic enough.

"I wasn't laughing, sir,"

"Sure you weren't," he said sceptically. She grinned and his heart soared, he loved to make her laugh even if it was at his expense and especially when they were stranded a million miles from home waiting to be rescued. "Why don't you get some more sleep, it doesn't look like I'm getting any,"

"I'd rather not, sir," she said quietly.

He turned his head to look at her, mapping her, examining her with his scrutinising gaze for any injuries he might have missed before. "Why not?" he asked innocently.

"Keep you company, sir?" she tried, seeing if he'd buy into it. She should have known he was too smart for that.

"Carter, I'm a sleep-deprived, hungry old man who's in pain and hasn't had coffee for a whole day. No one in their right mind would want to keep me company right now," he joked, causing her to grin guiltily "Come on, what is it?"

She regarded him carefully, taking in the concern etched into his features. They were sitting shoulder to shoulder, comfortably like they had always been like that and, most likely, always will. Buddies, friends, mates. She turned away and suddenly became fascinated with her hands.

"Nothing," she almost whispered it. The truth was that she was afraid. She was afraid that if she sleep she might not wake up or she wont be awake enough to alert him or for him to alert her and sleeping with that _thing_ so close she felt aware of this feeling so much more. "I just want to be alert, sir,"

"Yeah, well, as much as I appreciate you being alert now, I'd rather have alert later when we go back,"

"Yes, sir," she said.

"So, are you going to sleep?"

"No, sir,"

"No, sir?" he said in astonishment "That's it! As soon as we get back, I swear I'm going to buy the biggest damn badge that has 'Colonel' written on it in huge bold letters,"

She laughed at the familiar joke, feeling encouraged he carried on. "Or better yet, I'll have it tattooed over my forehead; it seems to work for Teal'c, you don't see anyone not giving him the proper respect,"

"That's probably because he looks big enough to snap most people in half, sir. In regards to the tattoo, I think it would become a nuisance when you get promoted,"

"True," he agreed with a nod. "Worth a try, though, right?"

"No, sir,"

"No, sir?" he almost squeaked. Here was Colonel Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill squeaking? "That finalises it, a tattoo and a huge neon sign that I can carry around on my back,"

"Yes, sir," Her eyes sparkled in good humour, lighting up their gloomy surroundings.

"That's better,"

A rattling sound of stones shifting down wet passageways snapped their attention round towards the source of the faint light. Water splashed from the puddles ahead of them, Jack drew a finger to his lips to signal silence and picked himself up into a crouching position, awkwardly avoiding using his injured leg. He signalled for Carter to retreat round the corner and out of sight as he positioned himself in a darker corner, bringing out his zat but not opening it so as not to draw attention to himself.

Hissing echoed down the passage in nervous breath, disembodied and seeming to come from all around them until a figure cast a shadow down their strip. The creature turned its head left and right, searching for a sound, a snatch of movement. Although humanoid, its back was hunched and its arms drawn up tightly to its body as though it never planned to use them and Jack was reminded sourly of pictures of Tyrannosaurus Rex he'd seen. Leaning heavily forward and letting its tail balance itself out, its head protruded so those nasty teeth were available at any time. Jack held his breath and listened to the creature's own unusual breathing, the air passing through the teeth made an eerie whistling sound as it breathed out and a snakelike hissing as it inhaled.

Jack stood still and tense as the creature brought its head down to sniff the ground and widen its eyes to peer around the tunnels. Its face was distorted, human but the mouth too wide for its face, stretching the oily skin in a creepy smile, creating wrinkles around its huge blue eyes. Blue.

Jack allowed himself a glance at his Major, obediently staying out of sight, prepared with a zat gun in hand in case things got ugly. Her eyes a steely blue in fear and anticipation with her arm limp at her side. He turned back to look at the creature and found himself staring into familiar eyes. It couldn't see him, could it?

It turned its awkward human legs down their strip of tunnel, taking small steps, uncertain of its surroundings and its strange new legs. Nose high in the air, searching for a sign, only a couple of metres away from them. He had to do something, any closer and it was sure to find them, but it hadn't yet, could he afford to give away their position?

Suddenly it stopped and cocked its head as if it had heard something from behind it. Its features became very sad and confused for a moment as if it didn't understand what it was doing or why. Spinning its head in different directions, looking worried then shaking its head defiantly and putting the nasty grin back in place. Its breathing increased to form short rasps and it sprinted away down further into the complex. Tripping along the way, it was more used to its muddy, wet environment.

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_Fishboy returns! Everybody agree that is a good thing, yes?_


	10. Chapter 10

_I thought I'd give a short chapter, just to get you thoroughly annoyed with me. Hope you like it.

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_

"Are you alright, Carter?" he whispered as he heard the footsteps recede. His eyes were stilled fixed on the place where it had disappeared. With a sickening gulp he admitted to himself where he had seen those features before, in his own 2IC.

Anger boiled in his stomach to think that thing had taken something so beautiful and made them inflict fear on him.

"ARRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" her scream wrenched his heart as he spun around to find two sets of identical blue eyes watching him.

One set pleaded with him, the other glinted maliciously as its teeth sank themselves deeper into her shoulder. Holding her with strong arms around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides so only her legs could thrash out wildly. It used her as a shield against Jack; intelligence gleamed in its eyes. Obviously, its looks weren't the only thing it had taken from Sam. He brought his Zat up and the creature shifted its mouth up to her neck. One bite would do it. That would be the end. Was it holding her hostage? For what reason? If it wanted to kill her, it would've done so by now. By now, the creature looked more than slightly unsure of itself as the new found intellect seeped into its mind.

Sam was becoming limp as she lost consciousness, the paralysing saliva coating her neck. He could feel the hatred bubbling in his stomach as he watched her stop struggling. The creature started to move away from Jack, watching him curiously, studying his reaction. He couldn't let this thing take her, he aimed and fired his Zat and hit the creature squarely on the top of its head. The grin returned and grew larger than it had been before and it started laughing. Well he assumed that screeching cough was a laugh. Too fast for his eyes to register its head pointed upwards and its tongue shot out and wiped stinging saliva over Jack's eyes.

"AHHH!" it burned and stung horribly. He desperately tried wiping the revolting goo from his face, he could feel them swelling until he was looking through puffy slits in time to see the thing drag Sam around a corner. "Oh no you don't!" he growled.

* * *

The teams had been on the planet for a little over half and hour. The dust had settled in the time it had taken for Daniel and Teal'c to return and it didn't look like there had been any further earthquakes. They had reached the cavern and had been told not to get close to the edge and not to step on any cracks. The rescue team's leader, Colonel Reynolds, barked orders and went to work immediately, searching for a way down into the vast cave while Daniel and the medics waited impatiently, fruitlessly calling on their radios for either one of the missing team-mates. Becoming more and more frustrated as time went by, Daniel approached the Colonel.

"Can we call down into the cavern just to see if they answer? We need to know what the situation is," Daniel asked the scowling airman.

"We can't do that Dr Jackson, not until we know the whole thing isn't going to collapse on their heads,"

"I won't even go too close just let me call down,"

"I'm sorry, Doctor, I can't allow you to do that,"

"Can we at least see what the structure is like?"

"Later, Dr Jackson," he snarled with a warning. Daniel put his hands up in mock surrender and retreated back to the group of onlookers, he hated waiting.

A member of SG-3 bounded along to them looking pleased. "We've found the walls of the cavern near some openings, which means they'll be sturdy enough for us to scale down but it's a long way," he took a breath "There is another way that might be easier, if they are hurt,"

"What is it?" Janet asked.

"Well the whole thing looks like a building, there are staircases and levels and doorways," he reported "We spotted some passageways that we have linked to the caves that we found on the UAV report just a few clicks west of here,"

"Are you sending a team?" Daniel asked "Can we call down from the wall now? It might be best if we know what we are getting into,"

"The Colonel's sentiments exactly, Doctor," he grinned "If you'll follow me,"

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_laughs evilly mwah ha ha haaa! _


	11. Chapter 11

_There we go, I decided to take pity on you and give you the next chapter earlier than I was going to. I'm sorry about that cliffy in the previous one but you have to admit they're fun, right? Gets the blood pumping, gets you excited for the next chapter plus it makes you guys review like crazy. (Just goes to show I like reviews even if they are angry threats)

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_

Jack moved as quickly as he could down the narrow passageways, often tripping over the uneven floor, cursing at his ankle and leaning into the wall as he tried to clear his eyesight from the sticky gunk.

The creature was confused at Jack's reaction, curious at his strong determination to retrieve Sam, waiting for him to turn each corner before turning off into another hallway itself. Jack was always one turn away from them. Catching only glimpses of her limp body in its arms, its frightened screeches filling the halls.

He couldn't shoot at it, in case he hit Sam, he couldn't zat because he'd already hit them once and he couldn't get near enough to knife it because he kept going off course and stumbling, his leg refusing to coordinate with his thoughts. He was becoming more and more frustrated, he was a man who acted and he couldn't save her. He wasn't going to save her. He couldn't make it.

"NO!" he shouted in aggravation, answered only by its questioning screeches. "Let her go, please!" he knew it was pointless.

The creature stopped for the first time in their chase and looked at him carefully, intellect gleaming in his eyes. Did he see this because those eyes reminded Jack so terribly of another brilliant person or was there actually something there?

It dropped Sam to the ground by opening its vice-like jaws; she fell with a lifeless thump, blood oozing out of the teeth-marks. Was he too late?

"Do you understand me?" he tried. Jack edged towards the monster.

"Ssssstop!" it was hardly recognisable as a word, the fangs made it difficult to understand adding a hissing and a sort of gulp as it tried to form the word around its large tongue. "Mine!" it guzzled like a fish out of water.

Jack finally took note of his surroundings, they were back at the lake and he vaguely registered voices coming from far off on the surface. Could the SGC have come already? "She's not yours," he growled "You took her from me!"

"Mine!" it argued again like a petulant child. It looked confused like it wasn't confident it was doing the right thing anymore. It had always hunted for food, all its life had been about the next meal. Now new thoughts and feelings that weren't his clouded his brain, what were these strange creatures that had invaded its home? "Hungry!" it spat to reassure itself. "Prey!" it pointed at Sam.

"Jack?" Daniel's voice entered the cavern. Jack peered upwards through his reddening eyes at the distant ceiling.

"Daniel?" his voice cracked with relief. "Daniel, please! Sam is hurt!" he shouted.

"We're coming, Jack," Daniel's voice reciprocated the relief "We've found another way down. Hold on!" and he was gone.

The creature's eyes widened further at the sound of more of them and it started to become agitated.

"She's not prey," Jack addressed the creature. It jumped at Jack's voice and started wringing its hands, realising for the first time it had fingers.

"Not," it hissed "Prey?" its breathing was laboured as it started to become uncertain of itself. Jack dared to move closer to the confused creature. Its face started to change again, teeth shrinking, tail thinning and getting shorter to create a more human figure. It looked worried, had it done something wrong?

"No, she's not," Jack said. "Look at her,"

The creature turned its skinny neck a few degrees to regard Sam, her pale face and soft features, her golden hair. "Beautiful," it gulped with gentleness to its voice. It reached out a clammy hand to touch her cheek and trailed a line down Sam's face with its finger along her neck until it reached her shoulder. "Oh!" It gasped and brought its hand over its mouth in horror as it studied the damage it had done with its fangs. "I…"

"You did that to her," Jack spat angrily.

"No…" Emotions raged over its face and its eyes filled with tears as it looked at the bloody mess of Sam's shoulder.

"You killed her," Tears stung Jack's own eyes.

"No!" The creature sobbed through its ghastly teeth and tore its eyes away from Sam's body. "You!" it hissed "Did this!" it took another gasp of air "To me!"

"It sucks to have a conscience, don't it?" Jack said in mock sympathy. "You've probably killed her and you're gonna have to live with it for the rest of your pathetic little life!" he shouted venomously

"NO!" it screamed "Sshe's not dead! Sshe's not dead!" it started trying to pick Sam up and make her animated. "Sssee!" it spat. "Good! Alive!"

"Get away from her!" Jack yelled, not afraid of the blithering wreck of a creature and storming towards it. "Please, just go!"

It jumped in fear and backed away from the imposing figure. Tears pouring from its oversized eyes in uncontrolled sobs. "I…Sorry!" it screamed at Jack "I sorry!" it repeated over and over in shrieks.

"GO AWAY!" Jack shouted.

"AAAHHHHHHH!" it screamed "AHHHHH!"

"SHUT UP!"

"AHHHH!" it jumped into the water and flayed about throwing mud "I SORRY!"

"Stop!" Jack said fiercely.

It stopped and looked at Jack and the anger etched in his face and it cowered and shivered in the cold water. The creature made a sad sight, something broken and mutilated, tears streaming out of its eyes. As much as Jack hated the idea, the fact was that Jack pitied it. To have a sense of right and wrong thrust upon it now was unfair.

"She may not be dead," he said.

"Not. Dead?" it whispered.

"Stay over there," Jack said pointing to a few metres away by the wall. "I will call you when I know, got it?"

"I sorry," it whispered again.

"I know," Jack said still not brave enough to show some emotion for this creature. "Just," he sighed "Just…stay away from me for a bit,"

* * *

_A twist!_


	12. Chapter 12

_I'm sorry this chapter is a bit late but I had a GCSE exam this afternoon and I needed to revise. To all that went through that terrible, horrible Maths exam, I salute you and hope you did better than I did. And to those who didn't…you are so damn lucky.

* * *

_

There she was. Lying there. Still. No breath to be seen. Was he too late? He rushed over to her, reaching her side, his hand met something wet, warm and dark. Blood.

"Sam," he called to her, keeping one eye on the beast. "Sam, wake up,"

Her eyes fluttered open and relief washed over his body until he could feel the tears erupt in his eyes.

"Jack?" her voice was quiet, far-away. Jack took her hand; she was cold, probably from the lack of blood.

"Hang on, Sam," he said. He cursed silently at his helplessness; he had nothing to help her with. They had used all the medical supplies they had earlier on. "Daniel's coming, he's on the surface right now,"

"I can't…" he could hear the distress in her voice.

"You can, Sam," he brought his hand up to stroke her blood-soaked hair "You have to,"

"I'm sorry…" she was crying, tears leaked out of her eyes.

"Don't give me that, Major," he commanded, feeling that if he didn't revert to Colonel mode he wouldn't be strong enough. "You are going to get out of this and I swear by the end of this week you _will_ be telling me to stop fiddling with your doohickeys and to get out of your lab, do I make myself clear?"

She looked like she wanted to laugh but the most she could manage was a pale smile while her eyes started to close. "Carter, look at me," he said softly. She forced her eyes to open and point in the direction of her CO. "Don't leave me," he whispered.

"I don't…"

"Please, Sam, don't leave me," he repeated. "You can't…I…" he struggled with his words and held onto her hand even tighter. "If you go…who will baffle me with technobabble? Who'll stop me from murdering Daniel, eh? Have you thought about that?" She rewarded him with a pained laugh. She looked terrible with blood staining her uniform, coating her hair. Her eyes were dazed with pain, dirt and mud soaking her skin until you couldn't find her pale complexion at all. "Who will make me smile when I feel like crap? Who will keep me warm without touching me at all? Who will laugh at my stupid jokes?"

"People laugh, sir," she croaked. Amazing. Here she was, dying because he wasn't good enough to protect her and she still wanted to reassure him that he was funny.

"You're the only one that dares to do it _out loud_ and you know it," he said. She smiled and squeezed his hand and closed her eyes unable to keep them open any longer. "Sam?" her wrist went limp. "Sam!" he shouted, lightly slapping her face, shaking her slightly. "Carter!" he yelled "Wake up, Major,"

"Jack!" Daniel's voice reverberated from down the hallways.

"Daniel!" he yelled. His voice was high and distraught, he knew, but he couldn't help it.

"Colonel!" Thank God, Janet was here.

"Doc! Sam needs help, please!" he pleaded.

They all rushed into the little opening, Field medics, nurses, SG-3, Daniel and Teal'c. They all looked so clean, uniforms only tainted by the dust on the surface, angels in camouflage.

"Colonel," Janet's voice was soft next to him. She untangled his fingers from Sam's hand and took him to one side. At first he panicked, they were taking him away from her! Then his mask was put securely in place, not letting anyone in or close. Janet went to work, barking orders, trying to stop the bleeding, hooking up the IV, beating on her chest. Jack couldn't look away, drawn by the dread of it, standing silently on the sidelines. He glanced to the corner he had banished the creature to and there it was rocking back and forth on its heels, eyes wide in horror. It looked more human now, like a scared child. Its tail had completely disappeared and its fangs looked smaller and less threatening making its eyes look huge and sunken.

Jack looked back to the scene playing out in front of him, Sam with an oxygen mask over her face, stark white against the dirt.

"Come on, Jack. We have to go," Daniel said gently in his ear. He took Jack's arm and started to lead him away down the tunnel they had come from.

"No!" Jack said.

"What is it Jack?" Daniel asked curiously

"Um…" Jack brain wasn't working properly, he was numb. People handed him crutches and cleaned his wounds until he waved them off. "We have to take him," Jack said pointing at the creature covered by shadow. The creatures head snapped round and it started shaking with terror.

"No!" it said, sounding more human no that the teeth had shrunk. "I sorry! I sorry!"

"What is he?" Daniel asked curiously and slightly repulsed.

"I didn't mean… I sorry! Don't hurt, please!" it begged.

"We won't hurt you," Daniel said.

Colonel Reynolds started rounded his men and ordered them to cuff the creature and bring it with them.


	13. Chapter 13

_I'm drawing this story to a close now. There will be a couple more chapters then I really must start revising for these exams I keep having. Thanks for reading.

* * *

_The journey back to the gate got lost in a haze of shock for Jack. They travelled through the tunnels and out into the light from a cave a few metres from the Stargate, the creature screaming all the way only silenced by the awe of sunlight. At this point the creature tugged on Jack sleeve. He looked down at the hunched figure; its bones were visible through pale skin, then he stole a glance in front of him at the thing he was finding hard accepting.

The Stargate was already active, Janet and her team were rushing Sam through the shimmering puddle, the doctor had a look of pure determination and concern evident in her sharp eyes and quick voice. Jack silently thanked that woman for her knowledge just then, if anyone could help Sam it would be that petite Doctor and her strong will.

Jack felt empty and deadened. This was how he wanted it. He would not be opening those emotional flood gates, at least, not yet.

"Love," Jack's strange companion croaked and drew his attention away from the Stargate. It was a statement, said as if the creature was discovering a new scientific fact, which it probably was.

"Yes," Jack said with a croak that matched the creature's own, so much for not opening the emotional floodgates.

"Pain?" it said taking Jack's hand in its own fragile fingers.

"Yes,"

Daniel watched the exchange with curiosity from his place behind them. Soldiers either side of him and them, medics further back and ahead.

"I'm sorry," the creature said again, softly and sadly. Jack looked down at it and put his free hand on top of the fingers clasping his other.

"I forgive you," he said gruffly.

The creature's mouth stretched and widened into a joyful smile and it eyes once again filled with tears.

"Thank you," it rasped.

* * *

Jack lay in his infirmary bed, impatient and restless with worry. It had been an hour since Sam had gone into surgery and no one was giving him any answers. The nurses that took care of him claimed to know nothing of the current surgery and Janet, who would at least be straight with him, was in there with her.

His ankle was elevated and in cast and he had several itchy bandages added to the fact he was being constantly kept in the dark. He didn't even know where they had taken the fish, if he was being treated properly. It was stupid really, here was the creature that had attacked them on more than one occasion, had planned to kill and eat _Sam_, the woman who saved him, the woman he…

Jack shoved those thoughts from his head. He had forgiven this creature. Him, Jack O'Neill. The man who could bear a grunge for an eternity. As far as he was concerned, he could tell that it had changed and not just its physical appearance, its mind had been altered, it could recognise love. Maybe he saw a kindred soul, someone who had regretted something so deeply they had despaired in anguish or maybe because he saw something of Carter born within it.

A nurse walked by, looking busy with a clipboard. "Any news?" he asked. She smiled sympathetically.

"Nothing yet, sir," she said.

"Hammond?"

"He's on his way now, sir,"

"Thank you,"

* * *

Jack turned to see Fraiser enter the room followed by a very grim General Hammond both looked like they would rather chew glass than tell Jack what they had to say.

"Spit it out," Jack sighed. Janet braced herself and started.

"She's stable, she lost a lot of blood but we're fixing that," she said. "The muscles in her shoulder and her upper arm are torn and she has deep gashes on her head, these are things that should heal in time, however, the venom from…um…the creature is stopped the body from making the necessary repairs," Janet looked upset with herself at what she was about to say.

"I can't do anything; we can only hope that the venom wears off, we could get a sample of the venom of the creature in question and try to come up with an antidote but that could take weeks,"

To her surprise Jack didn't try to argue or _make_ them do anything, he just closed his eyes and brought a hand to his forehead, he was so calm it disheartened the usually fiery doctor.

"Have you asked it if it can help?" Jack said suddenly.

"Son, that thing is crazy. I'm surprised you let it through the gate in the first place," Hammond said.

"It's not crazy, sir, its confused,"

"Whatever it is, it's not letting anyone near it,"

"Let me talk to it," Jack said sternly.

"You are in no condition to be going anywhere, Colonel," Janet said.

"It talks to me!" Jack shouted "Just let me try! I can't let her…Carter needs this,"

General Hammond sighed and resigned himself to the fact that nothing was going to stop the younger man.

"Go ahead, son,"

* * *

It was another couple of difficult weeks in where the creature Jack christened 'Ralph' surprised and raised their spirits by admitting that he secreted an antidote in the glands behind his ears.

Doctor Fraiser got to work straight away, first checking to see if 'Ralph' hadn't shed these glands when he changed then extracting the right amount to help Sam.

She showed no improvement at first much to the despair of Jack and 'Ralph', then in the last few days of the fortnight she started to come out of her fever and she regained consciousness. Jack thought he was going to burst when Daniel told him the news and Jack even stopped hiding away in his office and had the courage to check on Sam briefly. She wasn't awake when he got there but it didn't matter, finally her cheek was warm to the touch, not the clammy heat of the past few days but neither was it the heart stopping cold before they were rescued and Jack was content to just watch her sleep.

Another week and 'Ralph' was almost completely human and Sam got to meet him for the first time. Jack brought him into the infirmary and next to Sam's bed. Both 'people' had more colour to their cheeks and 'Ralph' had bulked up from Jack constantly feeding him with cake and jello.

"Hello," 'Ralph's voice was not so harsh anymore but it was shaky with anxiety at meeting Carter. He looked strange in BDUs.

"Hello," her voice, Jack was relieved to notice, had regained its former strength. 'Ralph' had changed a lot in appearance; his skin was looking more human without the oily fish texture. His ears were still small and eyes still abnormally large. In edition to this, he had grown eyebrows and hair in the colour of dirty blonde. His posture was straighter and he was clean but his teeth, although normal size, were spiked and tinted red.

Sam looked at him warily and glanced at Jack for reassurance but instead meeting a solemn look, full of thought.

"My name is Sam," Sam said amiably and held out her hand. 'Ralph' took it gently as if afraid to hurt her and his eyes brimmed with unshed tears.

"My name is…Ralph," he said "I'm sorry for what I did, I did not know, I could not understand. Not then."

"Do you understand now?" Sam said coolly.

"Yes," 'Ralph's voice broke with sadness and regret. "I want to thank you. Thank you for making me understand,"

Sam let go of his hand and looked at him carefully. "Where will you go now?"

"He's staying with us, Carter," Jack interrupted. "He can't go back, he doesn't fit there; he's going to be an apprentice to anyone who will have him,"

"We'll be glad to have you, Ralph," she said warmly. The tears came freely then and the reformed monster looked away in embarrassment.

"Thank you," 'Ralph' whispered.

Sam was let out later that day with orders to shower and go home to rest and _not_ come back for a week and she gratefully complied, heading straight for the locker rooms.


	14. Chapter 14

_Ok, this is the revised version. Thank you to those of you who pointed out my hiccups, as I said before I had written this chapter before I started the story so I had to change a lot of things. I'm sorry I missed a couple of titbits. I hope this makes more sense.

* * *

_

Sam was let out later that day by a nurse following Janet's orders, thankful for having to face the scrutinising gaze of her best friend Sam headed straight for the locker room to get changed. Tears stung the back of her eyes; she could feel the moisture threatening to stain her cheeks as they hung at the corners of sparkling blue. She sat down on the bench in the changing rooms, not feeling even motivated enough to stand or get undressed for a shower. She ran a weary hand through her bed head hair, tugging at the knotted strands. The pain in her legs had lessened to a dull ache and the sling around her arm was restricting and itchy. How could she fully forgive the thing that mercilessly attacked her? Why should she in return show him mercy? Because he eventually saved her life? She put her head in her hand and stared at the floor, focused on her jagged breathing.

Some days pulled at her. Being a strong person was hard work; it felt like you were being stretched to carry more burdens than you were ever built for. Some days just tugged a little too much and eventually tore a little piece of herself away, a piece of mind she'd never get back.

She sighed and looked up at the ceiling willing the tears to go away or at least hesitate until she reached the privacy of an empty house. They were not going to grant her that kindness today. Some days came more often and more unexpected as she grew older and they were becoming harder and the hopelessness she felt stung her heart a little more fiercely. Some days were becoming most days.

The first tear slipped from her guarded eyes and ran down her cheek leaving a glistening surface in its wake. She shouldn't cry, woman like her aren't allowed. Woman like her were strong, independent, assertive, cold…and inevitably lonely. She still remembered the words Jack rushed at her in her pain. Did she really do all those things for him? And although he seemed to be satisfied with what he got, it wasn't enough for her but he would never do anything about it and neither would she. She let the tears come then. No one else was there; she was still isolated from the rest of the base. They had been the only team off-world, in the General's haste to find SG-1 and bring them out of their latest hiccup, the General had suspended normal gate activity and they were still getting the normal routine up and running; most of the base had gone home because of the late hour. She didn't cry loudly nor did tears spill and flow down her face, this was crying that was a necessary. She needed to cry. So like everything else in her life she did it efficiently and businesslike. Face forward in a neutral stance she let the tears trickle down her cheeks in their own time, not forcing them either way. She wasn't distraught or grieving and she wasn't upset. She was just sad.

"Carter?" The Colonel had come into the locker room! She immediately rubbed the heel of hand over her eyes stopping the tears in their tracks. Oh God! He can't come in and see her like this. "Carter, are you decent?"

"I'm fine, sir," she said and got to her feet to face the lockers, pretending to busy herself with putting things away or taking them out. Hopefully he wouldn't see her face. There was silence as Jack came in a stood behind her. She glanced past her arm to catch a glimpse of his boots limping from his recent injury.

"We've had…" he started with a clear of his throat "That was a tough mission," he said matter-of-factly "Hammond wants us to have one more check up before we go on leave today and Fraser is on a rampage so…" he stopped noticing the repetitiveness that Sam had been taking in loading her locker then unloading the same objects she had just placed in. "Carter?"

"Yes sir," Sam said finally deciding to place everything in the locker. "I'll be right there," She turned to grab her bag and shove it into the locker.

Jack caught a glance of her face, her disorderly hair and her gaunt face emphasized the shiny streaks that lined her sad expression. Her eyes were still watery. He swore his heart broke, feeling an actually physical pain in his chest when he saw her tears. It was unfair how he was kept from just kissing the tears away and holding her, all he could do was stand there. He hated feeling useless; he didn't even know how to comfort her appropriately. Closeness was not an option, soothing her would affirm his feelings, which would cause more pain. He would have to just walk away from her.

"I'll see you there," he said feeling his throat closing up in a gulp, fighting the voice that screamed at him to do something. Taking that first backwards step away from her was the hardest thing he'd had to do that year. He backed away slowly towards the door, watching her finish packing. He turned around to see Daniel walking down the corridor towards the locker room, also tired and looking unhealthily pale.

"Hey Danny," Jack said quietly. Daniel stopped and looked up from watching his steps with his usual slightly surprised/gormless expression. "Check on Carter, would you? She's in there," Jack pointed at the door.

"Sure Jack," Daniel smiled wearily.

"Get some rest Danny-boy," Jack smirked.

Daniel nodded and made his way into the locker room, he passed over to Sam in the corner and put his hand out to hold her shoulder, he whispered to her. Jack watched from the door, hiding behind the frame. Sam turned around showing the sad tears falling down her face, staining her skin further. She just crumpled into Daniel's embrace and let herself cry.

Feeling tears sting his own eyes Jack tore his gaze away from them and carried on his way towards the infirmary.


	15. Chapter 15

_This is it. Thank you for sticking with it throughout my overactive imagination and plot holes; you've been a wonderful audience, I'll be here all week……and possibly a few more years.

* * *

_

Jack left the base feeling angry with himself as he drove through the rain thinking about the past couple of months and about the countless times he had had found his heart in his throat _and_ his sleeve at the same time. His tired, old heart could only take so much moving about at one time but try as might; he could not get her face out of his head. Her façade did nothing to disguise the heavy, dark sadness that painted her expression, all he ever wanted was for her to be happy and that wasn't happening.

He could always justify it by saying she'd had a bad week, month…year. He racked his brains for a solution, a good team night, a visit from her Dad, a new doohickey just to might her eyes light up again. She hadn't been doing that recently. Every new project was just another thing to figure out and discard into the 'out' pile.

He'd give anything to get that shine back, to see her roll her eyes at one of his terrible jokes. She needed more than he was giving her. Maybe he should step down and let someone nice take her out make her feel special, give her what she deserves but…did he want her to be happy with someone else? But when did what he wanted matter? He wanted her. Oh God… he wanted her. He thumped his open hand on the steering wheel in frustration and made a sharp turn down a familiar street.

Before he knew it, he had pulled up outside Sam's house. What was he doing? Was he nuts! His brain didn't seem in tune with what his body wanted, he couldn't help himself. He stormed through the pouring rain up to her front door and slammed the door with his fists. It was then he realised he'd forgotten to favour his ankle and registered the pain coursing up his leg.

"Sir?" she said when she answered the door.

Now! Now, he realised what a dumb, stupid, idea this was!

"Uh…" he said. Oh, you sound so intelligent, Jack O'Neill. Real classy. You were an idiot to think this might be what she wanted because…truthfully Jack, what _you_ want is always was going to be the brainless choice. What she wanted, however, is the world to you. How are you going to compete with that?

"Sir, are you okay?" she asked.

Great, now you're worrying her.

"No," Jack managed to say.

"Sir?"

"I never wanted to let you down, Carter, I'm sorry,"

"You never-"

"No! Stop!" he shouted. It was then he realised that he was staring intently at his feet like a guilty school boy. He forced himself to look at her. "Let me say this,"

She nodded and let him in to her house. He closed the door behind him and he resumed his speech.

"I let you down, I wasn't alert enough," he said. "If I had been, the creature would never have got you, you wouldn't have had to recover alone while I was hiding in my office like a coward," Jack's voice rose in resentment and Sam opened her mouth to protest. "Ah!" he silenced her with the raise of a finger. "If I was more observant…you wouldn't be this…" he struggled for the right word, after all expressing any feelings wasn't his forte. "…sad,"

His words hit her hard. "I'll be fine, sir," she croaked.

"I meant every word I said to you in the cavern! You might be fine eventually, but _I won't_ be!" he shouted. "Fine," he clarified and soothed his voice a little. "If you d- If you go… in the next mission or the one after, I won't know what to do with myself,"

"Sir!" she shouted, she didn't want to hear this, why was he doing this to her?

"I _NEED_ YOU, SAM!"

"No!" she said.

"You wear me out!" he yelled. "You don't even realise! I spend most of my waking moments wondering whether you're safe, you're comfortable, you're happy! I hate it!"

She couldn't hear this, her resolve was going to break apart, did he know what he was doing to her? He closed the gap between them until he was so close she could see the dark marks of fatigue under his eyes.

"I hate loving you this much and not being able to do anything about it," he whispered softly. She looked into his eyes through glistening tears.

"Then do something about it," she said.

He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her, encompassing her in a huge embrace. "I could resign," he whispered into her ear.

"No," she said quickly.

"Then what?"

"Promise me something,"

"Anything,"

"Promise you'll wait for me,"

"Always,"

"That's all I wanted," He let go and brought his hands up to her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "What if it takes years?" she asked.

"It'll be worth it,"

She snaked her one good hand around his head and laced her fingers through the hairs on the nape of his neck. Bringing his head down, she brushed her lips lightly against his. He wrapped an arm around her waist, deepening the kiss. He let go of her face and circled his arm around her, needing the warmth of her body against him. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Was he dreaming? It wasn't urgent or a nervous rush, this was the comfort he had wanted to give her. He wanted her to know with an indisputable certainty that he would love her and be there for her. She ran her tongue along his lips and he opened her mouth to let it explore. He placed a hand behind her head gently and stroked her neck and shoulders, careful to avoid the sling. He _really_ hoped he wasn't dreaming. They broke off, immediately missing the feel of her soft lips.

"One day, we'll be able to do that without the regs hanging over us. I promise you I'll still be here when that day comes," he said sincerely, resting his forehead on hers. "Who wouldn't want to wait for that?"

She laughed "Not me,"

FIN

* * *

_I love you guys! Thanks to all those who review and even to the ones that read and lurk in the background, you are all important. _

_That doesn't give you permission to stop reviewing or feeling guilty about not doing so._


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